Students place at regional research symposium

Eastern Regional Undergraduate Research Symposium winners

Eastern Regional Undergraduate Research Symposium winners include, front row, from left: Amia Luu, Erica Hughes, Isabella Hanna, Kelly McNally, Jermaine Jones, Jung Eun Park, Kenjiro Lay and Christie Brimmer. Back row: Associate Professor of Physics David Starling, Emily Madsen, Nicholas Kremp, Brian Perch, Nicole Stopper, Elise Schaffer and Thomas England.

Credit: Penn State

HAZLETON, Pa. — Penn State Hazleton hosted the ninth Eastern Regional Undergraduate Research Symposium, providing students from seven eastern universities the opportunity to display their research. More than 45 students participated in this year’s symposium.

All eastern region university, college and community college students who conduct research or scholarly work with faculty are encouraged to present their work in poster form at the annual symposium, which is held in the spring semester.

Winners at this year’s research symposium were:

Arts and Humanities category

  • First place: “Arts & Accessibility: How Modern Technology and Creative Adaptations Promote Inclusion,” by Elise Schaffer, Penn State Lehigh Valley
  • Second place: “Dissecting the Male Gaze,” by Emily Madsen, Penn State Hazleton

Biological Sciences and Health category

  • First place: “Susceptibility Testing of Lactobacillus Species in Probiotic Dietary Supplement Capsules,” by Christie Brimmer, Penn State Hazleton
  • Second place: “Can We Talk to Plants? Sensitization to Sound in the Sensitive Plant (Mimosa pudica),” by Nicholas Kremp, Penn State Scranton

Social Science and Business category

  • First place: “Too Many People are Dying Where I am From: Geography, Gender, and Secondary Exposures to the Opioid Epidemic,” by Erica Hughes, Isabella Hanna, Kelly McNally and Jermaine Jones, Penn State Lehigh Valley
  • Second place: “Atul Gawande’s Chance to Improve American Healthcare,” by Brian Perch and Nicole Stopper, Penn State Lehigh Valley

Physical Sciences, IST and Engineering category

  • First place: “Design, Fabrication, and Testing of Delta-Wing Air-and-Underwater Drone,” by Jung Eun Park and Kenjiro Lay, Penn State Abington
  • Second place: “Autonomous Robotic Car,” by Thomas England, Penn State Brandywine